Velvet hunt thread

[Volbuck777]

Okay guys who's on stand this morning. I'm here and wet, not from rain. It's hot. Anyway I had one blow coming in this morning, maybe it didn't spook to bad. Keep us updated velvet hunters.

 

[Andy S.]

Not I, raining and 20 mph winds here in SW TN. Good luck to everyone in the field. Look forward to some stories.

 

[HatchieHunter]

Got up and started down the road but when the sxs started rocking I imagined what the tree would be doing so turned around and went back to the house.


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[Bwales95]

Been in the stand since 530. Around 7:00 i had an army of ants start filing out of my ladder stand. I had to run to the truck, grab bug spray, proceed with filling the ends of the stand where they were coming out of, and plugged the holes with paper towels. So far so good lol

No deer yet. Spotty rain and moderate winds in northern davidson county. I remembered my tree umbrella so life is good :)

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I had the day off, but with the weather moving in, I elected to come into work. I'll be out there at some point this weekend

 

[Urban_Hunter]

Been here since daylight. Haven't seen the first deer. Granted, I'm on the job site babysitting. Hope y'all get carried off by mosquitoes, bums!

 

[timberjack86]

Good luck, I'm working 12s all weekend.

 

[Volbuck777]

Ended up staying till 11. I saw 5 does and a fawn. Only seen 1 until the rain started at 9. Then they decided to move and within about 45 minutes saw the rest. When I got down, I checked cams, I haven't had a picture of a buck in 3 weeks. I guess if the weather cooperates I'll hunt in the morning.

 

[catman529]

Waiting for this line of storms to blow through before I hit the woods. If I get caught in a lightning storm I'll be able to walk back inside pretty quick which is nice


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[catman529]

In a tree finally

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[JCDEERMAN]

Good luck catman. Assuming you're in the Franklin area (M TN), there is a line of storms expected to be here by 4:00. Stay safe

 

[SC Manimal]

Winds blowing hard in Rhea Co. Wondering if I'm doing more harm than good.

 

[Snake]

Couldn't go , I put a rock through my storm door so. I'm putting a new one up today . Maybe tomorrow but I think it's supposed to rain tomorrow too .

 

[recurve60#]

I didnt wanna go since it was so humid last night, but I'm gonna give it a run in the morning.

 

[Andy S.]

Good luck to everyone hunting. Less than ideal conditions for most of west TN today. Tomorrow looks some better but hot as ever like a typical August day, then rain moving back in Sunday.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I saw it might let up for the last couple hours of daylight and decided, at the last minute, to run out to the farm and hunt. I didn't have to worry about taking extra time to unlock the gate. Someone had gone ahead and plowed it over for me. I took a quick look around and nothing looked outta place, so I hit the stand.



Nothing. I didn't see a thing. Not even a squirrel. I stayed in the stand until 7:50 and slipped on out. Hung, and locked, an old cable across the road on my way out. I drove through one heck of a storm on my way home. Hopefully after this system moves through they get back on schedule.

 

[jejeffrries71]

"I didn't see a thing. Not even a squirrel."

I hate that. I can rationalize that it was a good hunt if I just see something I wouldn't have seen at the house. Even if it is just an ordinary bird like a crow or a jay that you see way up closer than normal. Once I even had a buzzard land and sit on the edge of my box stand with me. After a couple of hours I run out of studying which trees might be removed, which trails seem to be in use, where to plant something, ...

 

[1 good shot]

Saw 2 nice ones at 6:38. they were well over 500 yards away. Only deer I saw.
I did have a gobbler and 12 hens feeding under me for a while

 

[JeepKuntry]

Gonna try the morning. Prefer evening but it's all that is left. Went to bed and weather was suppose to be wet until midday. Woke up to sunshine. But we have a big storm cell around 5:30 that is suppose to stick around for a couple hours.

 

[Bone Collector]

Day one I went in the morning. Got up the tree and as it was breaking light, i noticed the scope on the CB had something on it, and my bino lens were fogged. Got out the soft clothe to wipe it and as I was had one spook at 15 yds. She came in from behind me. About 35 minutes later had another sneak up from the same side. I heard it and being the first hunt, i instinctively turned my head too fast and got busted again. That was a small deer, think it was also a doe. Sat till 9 and it was hot, so I left. Later that night went to my shooting house because the possibility of rain. It start pouring as soon as I got in. I was pinned down for an hour and half. When it started letting up 2 does came out and it started pouring again. Radar showed tons of rain. When it let up again, I made my exit.

Day two, this morning saw 3 does, 3 fawns, and a spike. So one velvet buck, but obviously not what I was looking for. To be honest my camera checks have been weird this year. Every year since 2012 I have had at least one or two good deer on camera, but not this year. What is weirder is I know 3 of the bucks that were around last year made it. IDK where they are.

Will try tonight and play dodge the thunderstorm. Looks like tomorrow early will be ok, but tomorrow afternoon will be another game of dodge the thunderstorm.

 

[fairchaser]

Between the heat, no wind, thermacell and my sweat, I'm probably was detected long ago.

 

[Don'tDrinkTinks]

Good luck to you die hards!

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Fun hunt tonight. I got settled into my stand around 5:45. Sweat just pouring off me sitting there. I'm a hot weather person, so I don't mind it; thermocell running. There's a light breeze and its from the perfect direction. This is the first year in a long time I haven't been out west hunting something during the early season so it feels so good to be in a stand here at home.

I knew right away things were going to be so much better than last night. The birds were carrying on and the squirrels were busy dropping walnuts on the tin roof of a dilapidated barn thats about 20 yards behind me.

At about 7:00 I saw 2 does come out of a thicket back and to my right. The trail I'm set-up over brings deer in from my left. I started getting ready thinking that the bucks I've been patterning will be coming by at any time. Well, wouldn't you know it. They popped out at the same place the does did. At one point they came through a lane at 40 yards, but that's much too far for my recurve.



I'm really hoping this weather gives me one more chance tomorrow evening.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I got soaked to the bone yesterday afternoon from a pop up thunder shower. Had a shooter coming in consistently about an hour before dark, but I think the storm hampered things some. Wind picked up and was swirling bad. Came out of nowhere. I actually got a little chilly

 

[recurve60#]

Every morning it crosses my mind to go that evening. Every morning by 10am the humidity changes my mind.

 

[megalomaniac]

For you guys that didn't go, sorry you missed it.

Its a TOTALLY different style of hunting than the fall. All bets are off. Just scout big fields from the roads a few days before, find a deer you want to kill, then pattern him the next couple days. Go in when the wind is right, and ambush him!

Although I have 3 years of tag soup for this hunt, I have had decent deer in easy range every year. 3 years ago, I had a 125in 9pt at 25yds. He was too young for me. Last year, I passed a 125in 4.5 yo, as i was hunting a much bigger deer, and actually had that deer at 75yds one morn and 90yds another eve. This year, we had an entire bachelor group of 9 bucks at 35yds. Ethan missed the biggest, but that feeling of anticipation as they worked their way in was just as exciting as hunting in the fall.

Oh, havent climbed in a tree since this hunt started. All spot and stalk or setting up on the ground at fence crossings. They are just so predictable once you get their pattern down.

But this hunt is definitely feast or famine. If you don't have the summer food, you won't have as many encounters. And even if you have the food, they are so bunched up in bachelor groups that all the bucks in a square mile are in one wad in a small area.

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[Winchester]

Hunted short hunts all wknd and it was miserably Humid! You gotta pay to play however, nothing worth doing is normally easy.

 

[Shed Hunter]

For you guys that didn't go, sorry you missed it.

Its a TOTALLY different style of hunting than the fall. All bets are off. Just scout big fields from the roads a few days before, find a deer you want to kill, then pattern him the next couple days. Go in when the wind is right, and ambush him!

Although I have 3 years of tag soup for this hunt, I have had decent deer in easy range every year. 3 years ago, I had a 125in 9pt at 25yds. He was too young for me. Last year, I passed a 125in 4.5 yo, as i was hunting a much bigger deer, and actually had that deer at 75yds one morn and 90yds another eve. This year, we had an entire bachelor group of 9 bucks at 35yds. Ethan missed the biggest, but that feeling of anticipation as they worked their way in was just as exciting as hunting in the fall.

Oh, havent climbed in a tree since this hunt started. All spot and stalk or setting up on the ground at fence crossings. They are just so predictable once you get their pattern down.

But this hunt is definitely feast or famine. If you don't have the summer food, you won't have as many encounters. And even if you have the food, they are so bunched up in bachelor groups that all the bucks in a square mile are in one wad in a small area.

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Great and humble explanation of the velvet hunt. The dominating factor between a successful vs unsuccessful velvet hunt is without a doubt access to the deer's summer pattern

We watch these deer every night. Tried to get my dad to go shoot one this weekend but he'd rather wait

 

[Winchester]

SH, I wish we had the luxury of big Ag fields here in my part of East TN, very little of glassing entry routes for a few nights and then going in and just killing a big one! I know that may be the case in some areas but def not the norm all over the state. I do 100% agree that Mature bucks are more consistently patternable right now vs later in the year once velvet is shed for sure.

 

[Shed Hunter]

SH, I wish we had the luxury of big Ag fields here in my part of East TN, very little of glassing entry routes for a few nights and then going in and just killing a big one! I know that may be the case in some areas but def not the norm all over the state. I do 100% agree that Mature bucks are more consistently patternable right now vs later in the year once velvet is shed for sure.

It's definitely different in varying areas. I'm hunting KY this weekend and lord knows the land sill be on isn't as easy as walk in and shoot but there's B&C public land deer there and i hope to get one